Dick's Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening Celebration at Harbor View East in Suffolk, VA

Former NFL Quarterback and University of Virginia Alumni, Aaron Brooks and Baltimore Ravens Quarterback and Virginia Tech alumni Tyrod Taylor to Make Special Appearances Throughout Grand Opening Weekend

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Dick's Sporting Goods

Oct 03, 2011, 01:15 ET

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer, invites the community of Suffolk to their three-day grand opening weekend. The store will open its doors on Wednesday, October 5 and begin the celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 7 at 8 AM at the retailer's new location at Harbor View East, 6253 College Drive, Suite 200, Suffolk, VA 23434, (757) 638-2001. Special extended store hours will also be in effect for Friday (8 AM–10 PM), Saturday (8 AM – 10 PM) and Sunday (9 AM–8 PM).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110912/PH65977LOGO )

Dick's Sporting Goods has a variety of special athlete appearances and give-a-ways scheduled to celebrate the grand opening festivities. On Friday, the first customers through the door will receive a free adidas t-shirt while supplies last.

Saturday, for the first 100 customers through the door, Crocs will be giving away a free pair of adult Crocs (limit one per person and must be 18 years or older) and former NFL quarterback, University of Virginia alumni and Virginia native, Aaron Brooks, will be onsite from noon – 2 PM.* A three-year letterwinner at UVA, Brooks is tied for third in career touchdown passes and ranks fifth in career passing leaders.

Sunday's schedule will feature a Mystery Gift Card Giveaway for the first 100 customers, where unmarked gift cards will be handed out with varying denominations from $5 to one lucky $500 gift card (limit one per person and must be 18 years or older). Plus a free Reebok t-shirt while supplies last and a special appearance by Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Tyrod Taylor from noon – 2 PM.* Taylor earned ACC Overall Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year accolades in 2010 while at Virginia Tech. The Virginia native holds school records for career total offense, career passing yards, career rushing yards by a quarterback, and three others.

"Dick's Sporting Goods is excited to become a member of the Suffolk community with the opening of our newest location," said Lauren Hobart, Dick's Sporting Goods Chief Marketing Officer. "Unsurpassed customer service and the best products in the industry are the hallmarks of our stores and we're excited to bring these traditions to Suffolk. We look forward to becoming an integrated member of the Suffolk community."

The Suffolk location will be the retailer's twenty-first store in the state of Virginia and their 462nd nationwide.

Throughout the weekend, customers can sign up for the $1,000 ScoreCard® Shopping Spree, earn triple points all weekend by signing up for the ScoreCard® Rewards Program, and register to win from The North Face, Michael Mauro, Crosman, or SofSole. Additionally, there will be activities throughout the store including product demonstrations by industry experts from Gatorade, Eagle Claw, Crocs, PowerBalance, SofSole, Mission Athlete Care, and Berkley among others.

Visit www.dickssportinggoodsonline.com/Grand_Open/Suffolk/ for more grand opening details and directions.

Dick's Sporting Goods is proud to be an active member of the communities they serve through the efforts of Community Marketing and Youth Sports programs. Dick Stack, founder of Dick's Sporting Goods, believed that sports play a vital role in teaching our children fundamental values like a strong work ethic, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. Stack understood that supporting the organizations that make youth sports possible is the best way to promote those values. Today, that legacy continues. Dick's Sporting Goods shares the same enthusiasm for and commitment to youth sports in our communities. This year, through its Community Youth Sports Program, Dick's Sporting Goods will donate thousands of coach's equipment kits to youth sports organizations across select markets – reaching over a million athletes. For more information about Dick's Sporting Goods Community Marketing and the programs they offer, please contact Ryan Ross at [email protected] or visit http://dickssportinggoods.sponsorport.com/.

* Limit one autograph per person. Autographs are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and are only guaranteed to the first 250 people in the special appearance line on the day of the event only. Times and appearances are subject to change without notice.

About Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. is an authentic full-line sporting goods retailer offering a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel and footwear in a specialty store environment. The Company also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, LLC, a golf specialty retailer. As of October 3, 2011, the Company operated 459 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in 42 states, 81 Golf Galaxy stores in 30 states and e-commerce web sites and catalog operations for both Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy. Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. news releases are available at http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/investors. The Company's web site is not part of this release.

SOURCE Dick's Sporting Goods